Golf balls having multi-layered covers made from plasticized compositions containing non-acid polymers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10413783-B2
Application number	US-201816040739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2018
Priority date	Oct 2, 2015
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

Multi-layered golf balls containing a three-layered cover assembly are provided. For example, a cover assembly having an inner cover, intermediate cover, and outer cover layer may be prepared. At least one of the cover layers is formed from a thermoplastic composition that preferably comprises: a) thermoplastic non-acid polymer, and b) plasticizer. A fatty acid ester such as ethyl oleate is preferably used as the plasticizer. Suitable non-acid polymers include, for example, polyesters, polyamides, polyolefins, and polyurethanes. The cover assembly has good impact durability and helps provide the ball with relatively high resiliency at given compressions.

First claim

We claim:

1. A golf ball, comprising:
i) a core having at least one layer;
ii) an inner cover layer disposed about the core and having a Shore D midpoint hardness in the range of about 45 to about 75;
iii) an intermediate cover layer comprising a thermoplastic material, the inner cover layer being disposed about the core and having a Shore D midpoint hardness in the range of about 15 to about 60, the thermoplastic material comprising:
a) a thermoplastic non-acid polymer; and
b) a plasticizer, the plasticizer being an alkyl oleate selected from the group consisting of methyl oleate, ethyl oleate, propyl oleate, butyl oleate, and octyl oleate, and mixtures thereof; and

iv) an outer cover layer disposed about the intermediate cover layer and having a Shore D surface hardness in the range of about 45 to about 75, and wherein the outer cover and inner cover layers each have a hardness greater than the hardness of the intermediate cover layer.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the non-acid polymer is selected from the group consisting of fluoropolymers, polystyrenes, polyolefins, polyamides, polyesters, polyethers, polyurethanes, polyureas, polyvinyl chlorides, polyvinyl acetates, polyimides, and mixtures thereof.

3. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the non-acid polymer is a polyamide selected from the group consisting of polyamide 6; polyamide 6,6; polyamide 6,10; polyamide 6,12; polyamide 11; polyamide 12; polyamide 6,9; and polyamide 4,6, and copolymers and blends thereof.

4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the non-acid polymer is selected from the group consisting of a polyether-amide block copolymer and a polyester-polyether block copolymer, and mixtures thereof.

5. A golf ball, comprising:
i) a core having at least one layer;
ii) an inner cover layer disposed about the core and having a Shore D midpoint hardness in the range of about 45 to about 75;
iii) an intermediate cover layer disposed about the inner cover layer and having a Shore D midpoint hardness in the range of about 45 to about 75;
iv) an outer cover layer disposed about the intermediate cover layer and having a Shore D midpoint hardness in the range of about 15 to about 60, the thermoplastic material comprising:
a) a thermoplastic non-acid polymer; and
b) a plasticizer, the plasticizer being an alkyl oleate selected from the group consisting of methyl oleate, ethyl oleate, propyl oleate, butyl oleate, and octyl oleate, and mixtures thereof;

wherein the inner and intermediate cover layers each have a hardness greater than the hardness of the outer cover layer.

6. The golf ball of claim 5 , wherein the non-acid polymer is selected from the group consisting of fluoropolymers, polystyrenes, polyolefins, polyamides, polyesters, polyethers, polyurethanes, polyureas, polyvinyl chlorides, polyvinyl acetates, polyimides, and mixtures thereof.

7. The golf ball of claim 5 , wherein the non-acid polymer is a polyamide selected from the group consisting of polyamide 6; polyamide 6,6; polyamide 6,10; polyamide 6,12; polyamide 11; polyamide 12; polyamide 6,9; and polyamide 4,6, and copolymers and blends thereof.

8. The golf ball of claim 5 , wherein the non-acid polymer is selected from the group consisting of a polyether-amide block copolymer and a polyester-polyether block copolymer, and mixtures thereof.

Assignees

• Acushnet Co

Inventors

• Sullivan Michael J
• Blink Robert
• Binette Mark L
• Bulpett David A
• Comeau Brian

Classifications

• C08K5/101

  of monocarboxylic acids · CPC title

• A63B37/0076 Primary

  Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers · CPC title

• A63B37/0039

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• C08L23/02

  not modified by chemical after-treatment · CPC title

• C08L23/00

  Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers · CPC title